Sam and her family laughed at how true that was.

“Some would say he had a big opinion of himself, but I saw it a little differently. He was definitely full of himself sometimes, but it was more that he was full of life, bursting at the seams to get where he was going. From the time he was the littlest kid until the last days of his life, his eye was always on the next goal or accomplishment or game that needed to be won. He was a fierce competitor, and most of the time, he won whatever game he was playing.

“On behalf of Angela and the kids, my parents, sisters, and the entire extended Radcliffe family, we thank you for the outpouring of love and support this week as we’ve mourned the loss of Spencer. We will remember him with love and laughter and a million memories that will have to sustain us until we see him again in the next life.”

After the beautiful service concluded, Spencer was laid to rest in the same cemetery as Sam’s dad, a few rows away from his late father-in-law.

For a long time after the other mourners left to attend the reception being held at a nearby restaurant, Sam, Nick, Tracy, Mike, Brenda and Celia stayed with Angela and Jack at the gravesite.

“I can’t bring myself to leave him here,” Angela said between sobs.

What could be said to that? Sam wouldn’t have been able to do it either. Just when she thought this nightmare couldn’t get any worse, Jack knelt on the ground next to his father’s grave and begged him to come back to them.

“Please, Daddy. Please don’t go.”

Nick bent to pick the little guy up and held him as he sobbed even as tears slid down his own face.

They eventually convinced Angela to come with them and were loaded into several Secret Service SUVs that had been made available to transport the extended family that day.

Sitting next to Sam, Angela said, “I want you to tell people what happened to him and warn them that these people are out there, looking to prey on defenseless people who’ve become addicted to this stuff.” Angela’s voice was firm and resolute.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded as she wiped more tears from red, raw eyes that seemed more focused than they’d been in days. “I talked to Spencer’s family about it, and we all agree that we want to use his story and your big platform to make people aware of what can happen when you buy this stuff illegally.”

“Nick wants to do something from a federal level but was hesitant, as it would out Spencer’s cause of death.”

“He should do something. Someone needs to.”

“We’ll do everything we can.”

“If telling our story stops one person from doing what Spencer did out of desperation, then maybe his death won’t be for nothing.”

“It won’t be for nothing,” Sam said. “We won’t let it be.”